Severe Storms From Milwaukee to Chicago, Detroit

By Matt Alto, Meteorologist

August 4, 2012; 12:10 PM ET

The weekend will start out on a rather stormy note today for those across the Midwest and Great Lakes as a potent storm system slides out the northern Plains and into the Midwest.

The same storm system which brought damaging winds, large hail and even a brief tornado Friday across the northern Plains will once again be responsible for another round of severe weather today as it shifts eastward into the more populated areas of the Midwest.

All the necessary ingredients will come together today to help ignite strong and potentially dangerous thunderstorms.

The combination of hot and very moist air surging northward into the region and copious amounts of sunshine will lead to the development of a highly unstable atmosphere.

As the cold front slices into this hot and sticky air from the West, it will provide the additional lift needed to get thunderstorms going this afternoon.

Drenching downpours are also expected with many of these storms, which will help alleviate some of the drought conditions found throughout the region.

Storms this afternoon will first fire ahead of the cold front from Upper Michigan to northern Missouri and advance eastward.

Green Bay, Milwaukee, Chicago and Des Moines will be the first in line to deal with strong thunderstorms this afternoon before they continue their eastward march toward Grand Rapids, Detroit, Indianapolis, and St. Louis tonight.

Strong and gusty winds will be the primary threat heading into the overnight hours along with drenching downpours and frequent lightning.

Thunderstorms will linger into Sunday morning as they spread into parts of the Ohio Valley and eastern Great Lakes.

While the threat for severe weather across the Midwest and western Great Lakes ends Sunday as high pressure builds into the region, the core of the strong storms will shift into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.